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    Ideal Birth

    5.0 (36 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Ask the Community - Ideal Birth

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    Review Highlights - Ideal Birth

    He still wakes up to eat, but Dahlia's made clear that when we are ready to work on that, she'll be here for us.

    Mentioned in 29 reviews

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    Brilliant Births - We're ready for class!

    Brilliant Births

    5.0(81 reviews)
    8.5 kmFourth Street, West Berkeley

    We had the best experience with Maureen, one of the many talented doulas at Brilliant Births. We…read moreopted for a private Laboring together class, and it exceeded every expectation. Maureen guided us with so much knowledge, warmth and patience. She gave us practical tools, hands on techniques, and the confidence we needed as we prepare for our baby. We both walked out feeling way more prepared. If you're looking for someone who empowers, educates and genuinely cares, Maureen is incredible. We're so grateful!

    My partner and I recently completed the Hypnobirthing three week course at Brilliant Births. We had…read morean absolutely incredible experience, for many reasons--The information we learned was invaluable, but also the instructors' teaching styles and depth of personal experience they offered was appreciated, comforting, and helpful. They clearly have a deep well of wisdom and experience-based expertise to share. We started our class with Keira and absolutely loved her--originally we were a bit bummed to know we would have a different instructor for our last day of the course. However, it turned out that Heidi was equitably wonderful and all things lovely-- instead of only one great instructor and guide, we ended up with two...which leads me to believe you'll be in skilled hands with anyone you interact with at BB. We will definitely be returning to take advantage of their other offerings!

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    Brilliant Births - We offer prenatal and postpartum massage! Reserve a time with our amazing massage therapist on our website.

    We offer prenatal and postpartum massage! Reserve a time with our amazing massage therapist on our website.

    Brilliant Births
    Brilliant Births

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    Loving Arms Childbirth Services - Our building

    Loving Arms Childbirth Services

    4.9(57 reviews)
    4.7 km

    I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Loving Arms Childbirth Services' birthing class! Jessica Cristen was our…read moreinstructor, and she was excellent! She's a certified midwife and lactation support specialist, with years of experience. Taking this class was the best decision I made for preparing for the birth of our baby girl. (even with the countless books I read and classes taken from Kaiser) My birth did NOT go at all as expected, but thanks to these classes I was super well prepared about all the possibilities that could occur during labor & delivery and helped my partner and I be on the same page (and have my partner know how he could best support me). Thus when things started to go different than what we prepared for in our birthing plan, we were really able to navigate the various options skillfully and have educated conversations with our care team. This made me feel way more secure when my health was declining during delivery. Even though I didn't have the birth I pictured for myself, I felt I had a wonderful birth story thanks to the classes from Loving Arms and our care support team. The class is very comfortable, super educational, and a good place to meet other couples about to have babies too. The instructors here really care about helping new families, and have years of experience and maturity. Again, best decision to take this class here @ Loving Arms. So glad I chose them!

    We are so grateful we found Loving Arms and were able to take their childbirth prep class. I didn't…read morewant to have a doula and these courses helped me feel so knowledgeable about what to expect during childbirth and allowed my husband to know how best to support me. The lactation support and honest expectations about what to expect in the first few days with a newborn were invaluable. I ended up not having time to get an epidural and without this class, I think I would have panicked giving birth. However, armed with the knowledge from the courses, I was able to get through it and have a positive experience. Another plus is that we were able to bond with the other couples in the class and are still in touch now 9 months after our babies were born. Highly suggest!

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    Loving Arms Childbirth Services - Our classroom

    Our classroom

    Loving Arms Childbirth Services - Loving Arms babies!!

    Loving Arms babies!!

    Loving Arms Childbirth Services - Learning labor support techniques

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    Learning labor support techniques

    Intrinsic Birth

    Intrinsic Birth

    5.0(8 reviews)
    2.1 kmEast Oakland

    Ottilia and Cody make a great team. They are alike in that they both are warm-hearted, competent…read moreand approachable. The ways in which they are different is really what makes this a strong program. They each come from a unique professional background, and that coupled with their unique struggles and triumphs as mothers themselves, is what makes their breadth of knowledge so expansive. I think for a lot of women, myself included, there seems to be an abundance of information out there relating to pregnancy and childbirth, but when you're really going through it, you want individualized answers to your questions that are sometimes hard to find online or in books. Like Ottilia, I'm also a Labor and Delivery nurse, and yet she taught me things during my pregnancy that I never knew. She was indispensable when it came to providing labor support when I had my daughter. She's an excellent listener and she's extremely intuitive- two qualities I find indispensable in this line of work. I really connected with Cody when it came to my breastfeeding journey. The thing about becoming a mom is that you have no idea what leg of the journey is going to give you the most trouble. When you actually reach this junction, you are too tired/overwhelmed/busy/etc to do any real research to guide your decision-making. Not only did Cody provide this, she also shared her experience with me and at the time I just really needed to hear from someone else who shared my experience. Apart from all of this, they both are just really cool people that you'd actually want to share this part of your life with.

    I can't say enough good things about Ottilia! Although I didn't have the opportunity to experience…read moreher course with my first child I would definitely do so for my next one. I was so fortunate to have Ottilia as one of my nurses during my stay at Highland Hospital. I originally planned a home birth but my son was a bit too cozy, pushing us past the 42 week mark so I needed an emergency transfer for induction support. From the start Ottilia's care was like nothing I had ever experienced in a hospital. Not only did she radiate so much warmth, but she constantly checked in to make sure I was taken care of and that things were progressing well. She always took extra precautions to make sure that my son was in a good position and answered any of my concerns with honesty. As her shift was ending she even went out of her way to put us in the care of an amazing nurse who also had a background as a doula. My husband and I were both thrilled, however, when Ottilia was one of the nurses that was present for our son's delivery. I was in labor for a total of 40 hours and was pushing for four when I was finally dilated enough. Ottilia gave me so much encouragement, continuously sharing affirmations and empowering the birth through the end. I know that she advocated strongly for me throughout that whole process. Because my son was posterior and just had such a hard time coming out we needed to do a vacuum assist. Ottilia was right there giving me the strength I needed for that final push to meet my son! He wasn't breathing for the first six minutes, but God is good and I knew in my heart that he would pull through. When we finally heard his cry Ottilia looked at me and said, "Do you hear that? That's your son!" Aside from my dear husband, I can't imagine having anyone else by my side at that moment. She even spent the time after to show me how to manually express and get that precious colostrum my boy needed. We have so much love, respect, and adoration for Ottilia. Let's just say that if we have a girl, we'd name her after this incredible woman.

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    Intrinsic Birth
    Intrinsic Birth
    Intrinsic Birth

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    The Art of Mothering - One of the many babies I "delivered "

    The Art of Mothering

    5.0(18 reviews)
    4.7 kmNorth Oakland

    Gingi supported my prenatal and postpartum healing journey -- helping both myself and my 8 week old…read morebaby. I attended her womb movement class while pregnant and absolutely love it! She was also incredibly knowledgeable about breastfeeding and newborn care to reduce gassiness and offered the most amazing body massage afterwards! She validated my experiences as a new mother and created a very comfortable and safe space for me. I look forward to working with her again and highly recommend her services!

    VBAC/HBAC success story!…read more As a second-time mom, I knew I wanted my birth experience to be drastically different than my first. I lived in New Jersey when we found out we were pregnant, so I started looking for midwives and OBs out there. I could not find someone who felt right for me. Some wouldn't listen/validate my concerns, others were asking over $10K out-of-pocket up front. As a result, I didn't feel comfortable having any prenatal care at all for the first 30 weeks. Fast forward, my husband got a job in the Bay Area. We were eager to find prenatal care that I felt right about upon moving here. I researched midwives and found Gingi's website. I reached out. We chatted on the phone so she could get an idea of my previous birth and I could ask her some initial questions, and we agreed to meet. I kept researching other midwives, but as soon as I met Gingi, I knew she was the one. The search was over and I had finally found a care provider that I felt confident with. This is so key for an expecting mother. Confidence and trust in your care provider is crucial to obtaining the birth you desire. I could not have had the natural home birth I desired if Gingi Allen wasn't my midwife. God led me to her. She was attentive, caring, and so wise. When my labs showed low iron, she recommended natural ways of increasing my levels. It worked. When we found out my son was breech at 36 weeks, she recommended ways we could flip him. He flipped naturally. My husband was working nights 80 hours a week, I was chasing my 18-month old toddler around, working from home full-time, and unpacking from the move. She reminded me to slow down, reflect, meditate, pause. She really looked at my health from a holistic perspective. Because of her recommendations, I have a fantastic acupuncturist, osteopath and massage therapist. The team she assembled for me was amazing. She was approaching maternity leave herself, and made sure that Grace Bender, her fellow CNM, was there to attend to me postpartum. She was amazing and also at my birth. Kai, her apprentice, was fantastic, and conducted my bone closing ceremony postpartum. During my birth, Gingi really encouraged me to listen to my body. I asked her questions, like "should I push now?" LOL and she would say, "What is your body telling you to do?" She was so patient with me. Listen, my birth, from prodromal labor in the beginning to pushing at the end, was literally a total of 48 hours. She never wavered. She never said, "Well, if x, y or z doesn't happen in this timeframe, then we'll have to.....blah blah blah" That's usually what a woman hears before their care provider deviates from the birth plan. That never happened with Gingi. I loved that she didn't tell me how dilated I was. That was something triggering for me, since I stalled at 9 cm with my first son before I had the C-section. That's not even something I asked Gingi to refrain from doing. She just KNEW that dilating to 10cm was something I was concerned wouldn't happen, so she didn't allow me to worry about it during birth. I'm telling you, this woman's instincts are SUPERB. Trust me when I say, Gingi is the midwife YOU WANT AND NEED. I could not have birthed my beautiful 9lb, 11 oz son at home , after a previous C-section, if I didn't have Gingi. A comment my last midwife made (with my first son), was that my son was "big" which is why I stalled. He was 8 lbs, 12 oz. So literally my second son was almost a FULL POUND LARGER, and I had him at home, COMPLETELY NATURAL. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT GINGI! She is amazing. Just hire her already. You'll be thrilled you did. I was only under her care from weeks 30-40 and still had the most amazing prenatal care experience. My postpartum care, first with her and then, Grace, was crucial to my recovery. I had PPD the first time, but not this time! Gingi Allen will do everything she can to ensure all women in her care have an amazing prenatal care and birth experience. As you can tell, I highly recommend.

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    The Art of Mothering - Teaching a group of young ladies about their menstrual cycles & self care

    Teaching a group of young ladies about their menstrual cycles & self care

    The Art of Mothering
    The Art of Mothering

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    The Best Birth - All live classes taught by Sarah McMoyler, RN, BSN

    The Best Birth

    4.3(56 reviews)
    3.9 km

    This class was recommended to me by my OB/GYN Dr Laurie Green that's why I followed her…read morerecommendation. I was DISAPPOINTED with the time and money I spent on it. I walked out shocked and took more issues out of child birth than I came with. 1. Sarah McMoyler shows her background as a registered nurse and the whole class is all about her personality, acting skills and her awesomeness. 2. The class had way too much PRODUCT PLACEMENT, too many references throughout. 3. Introduction of the class was WAY TOO LONG, not informative at all. Class could have been an hour or two shorter if product placement, lame jokes and sucky intro were removed. 4. The breastfeeding and newborn care portions were too short, I expected more. 5. Information on labour and delivery seemed very hectic, NO STRUCTURE. I didn't learn much at all. No breathing technics except useless hee/haw and aaah. 6. Two live videos of labour that she showed in class were very DISTURBING and I don't see how they are supposed to be helpful. 7. A VERY PRICY class for what you get out of it: $400 for you and your partner. Overall, I left the class filled with DISGUST, I wish I had done something more useful that day and I wish I could claim my money back. The only USEFUL part was Infant CPR and Choking Relief section of the class and we got to practice on dolls. But you would be better off taking online certification for as much as only $40.

    I want to first start by saying KUDOS to Sarah McMoyler and her wonderful, well-prepared lectures…read moreon the child birthing process, all the way up to the first few weeks with your new baby! I think it's important to start by acknowledging her ability to deliver such a thorough compilation of materials in such a short amount of time. Although there are alternatives to Sarah's classes, I have yet to hear about one with such a hands-on, interactive format. My wife and I attended both the 101 and 102 weeknight sessions lasting over a two-week span. In terms of the course structure, we've had friends that have taken the weekend session as well and can attest that having options (weekend vs. weekday) is perfect. My wife and I have found out how important our weekends are now (she's 6 weeks shy or her due date), so having weekday sessions was huge. In terms of the environment, the class takes place in a large quasi-lecture hall in a California Pacific building. We found this to work just fine for the group of 30-40+ people, especially since Sarah does a great job on walking the aisles to ensure that everyone sees and hears her. Also, she provides pillows, refreshments, and of course, who can forget - cookies! All in all, not to say that this little bit of information really matters, it at least makes for a more "comfy" class setting. The content, what most of you care about, was spot on. What do I mean by "spot on"? Well, for one, you will receive course booklets covering everything you will EVER need to know pre and post-labor. Yeah, plenty of books out there have more or less the same information, packaged more or less in a similar fashion. However, it is important to note that Sarah does a fantastic job going through the most important material in such a way that slowly but surely answers your questions before you even realize you wanted to ask them. As a new father, I can attest that I had plenty of pending questions that were ultimately addressed by Sarah throughout the course. So yeah, buy all the books you want regarding child birth, and the first few weeks, but I can promise you that you will have Sarah's course lecture books by your side at the hospital come delivery time. The last thing I want to comment on is regarding the last piece of course 102. Let me just tell you that having the ability to see a "real" family come in with their newborn (in our case the newborn was 20 days old) and swaddle, change, bathe, and even sooth the baby, was more than invaluable. I liken it to the whole indoctrination vs. hands-on learning environment. Nothing compares to seeing it in action, right in front of your face. The take away is this: in a world with more information than you or I even know what to do with, it's very easy to convince yourself to save the money and self educate. I for one am totally of that mindset. What I realized with this class was that it's impossible to know what to care about come "go-time". That is, Sarah does a solid job of educating you on the most important takeaways when you're in the moment. Yeah, you probably will only retain and adopt only 10% of the information much like you did in college, but remember, you have the course booklets, a network of parents, and even Sarah McMoyler to answer your questions well after the class is over. Good luck to all of those new parents out there!

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    The Best Birth - McMoyler Method

    McMoyler Method

    The Best Birth - Partners are fully involved in class-- volunteers to help demonstrate "pushing out a baby."

    Partners are fully involved in class-- volunteers to help demonstrate "pushing out a baby."

    The Best Birth - The famous cookie & milk break! (We also have a nutrition break and lunch during our One Day format.)

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    The famous cookie & milk break! (We also have a nutrition break and lunch during our One Day format.)

    Sister Doulas - Allison leads my partner through some lunge-like walking exercises in the Alta Bates corridor.

    Sister Doulas

    5.0(16 reviews)
    2.4 km

    It's hard to put into words the gratitude my partner and I feel for the Sisters Doula team --…read moreAllison, Renata, and Andrea are truly incredible. Before meeting them, we thought of birth as something to get through. They helped us shift our thinking and see it as something to be experienced. The birth of our son became a deeply intimate, connected, and transformative experience. Even weeks later, we still find ourselves in awe, and we're certain it wouldn't have been the same without the Sisters team. They prepared us for labor in a way that felt both meaningful and empowering. We feel so grateful that we began our journey into parenthood in such a beautiful way with their support. From our initial at-home meeting with Allison, we immediately felt at ease. Her calm presence and deep wisdom around birth were grounding from the start. Renata's classes were interactive and experiential, helping us feel informed, capable, and prepared. When labor began, the Sisters team was an invaluable support. Andrea checked in consistently by text during the early phase, and when we were ready, Renata joined us on the phone--calming us and helping us with decision-making. Allison then met us at home and helped guide us in timing our transition to the hospital. Throughout labor, she was a steady, reassuring presence--gently guiding me through different positions, offering encouragement, and helping me stay grounded. The postpartum visits with Allison have been meaningful in ways we hadn't anticipated. Having the space to revisit and process the birth experience with her felt emotional and meaningful. She has been incredibly helpful in normalizing the challenges of early parenthood while also sharing in and celebrating the joys.

    I found sister doulas when looking for a doula who worked with Kaiser (my insurance). We did an…read moreinitial meet and greet type call where they introduced themselves, their services and answered our questions. They ended the meeting saying they recommend we meet with several doulas before making a decision. As soon as the call ended my husband and I looked at a each and knew our search was over; we signed paperwork that week. Between the prenatal home visits to the group educational classes we felt like we had the support we needed going into labor. The wealth of knowledge and experience between them was incredible. When contractions got serious and we reached out it was sister doulas calm voices on the phone that helped us slow down and make decisions. Their existing relationship with the hospital staff was reassuring. They ensured I/we felt supported, cared and advocated for the entire 22 hour labor. The post partum visits were helpful in a way that I hadn't expected. After the initial new baby excitement when family leaves and lack of sleep kicks in it was so wonderful to have sister doulas reach out and come to our home to check in on us. Without hesitation I would recommend Sister Doulas to any expecting family.

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    Sister Doulas - Allison Stanton, Andrea Tyrrel and Renata Provost

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    Allison Stanton, Andrea Tyrrel and Renata Provost

    DOULAS by the BAY

    DOULAS by the BAY

    4.9(350 reviews)
    15.1 kmUnion Square
    Family-owned & operated
    Women-owned & operated

    I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

    We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

    Photos
    DOULAS by the BAY - Loving family I was working with...miss them

    Loving family I was working with...miss them

    DOULAS by the BAY - Very lovely family I was helping caring for their son in Albany..

    Very lovely family I was helping caring for their son in Albany..

    DOULAS by the BAY - Double cuteness:)

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    Double cuteness:)

    Mariposa Massage and Doula Support

    Mariposa Massage and Doula Support

    4.8(17 reviews)
    4.8 kmNorth Oakland

    I am a big fan of abdominal massage to heal all sorts of things both physical and emotional. It is…read moresuch a balancing and grounding experience and Francine is truly a healer in everything she does. Anytime you are feeling out-of-sorts Francine's treatments can put you back into your body and help lessen the stress of life by revitalizing and nourishing your soul.

    I received more than a massage from Francine. I received a healing. I first met Francine over a…read moreyear ago when she was the assistant midwife for one of my best friends births. I had heard very good things about her and I knew that she was really known and respected in our community. This dear friend gifted me a massage with Francine following the birth of my own baby. I could not have been more excited and in need of a massage as you can imagine. Two and a half months of breast feeding, sleeping with, and carrying a new baby can really leave you with a sore back and arms. I felt very safe to express my emotions and concerns with Francine around what I was looking for in a massage. She normalized all of my disclosures and was very empathetic as she is a midwife and mother herself. I feel that Francine combined many techniques in her massage to help me realign sore areas in my body and I am certain that she also helped me call my spirit back from wherever it had gone during labor. I had many insights and left her home feeling refreshed emotionally and spiritually. I sincerely believe every mother deserves to treat herself to a massage with Francine. As a mental health therapist, I believe it is a necessity to experience the release and realignment that she can intuitively provide so well. I can't wait to treat my husband and mother to a massage with her as well. Thank you Francine.

    Ideal Birth - lactationservices - Updated May 2026

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